Sally Milford
They came from the bush, the city, the farms
They came in response to a call to bear arms.
They were young, they were eager, and, they were brave,
Some with sloped shoulders, before their first shave.
Fathers, brothers, cousins & sons
With no sense of knowing just what was to come.
At times they would laugh, at times they would fear
But never forgetting those they held near.
Now on their way, now too late for quitters
The mateship grew stronger, and so did the jitters
And although they had doubts, and fears of failure
One feeling grew stronger – their pride in Australia.
No time to dig in as darkness was nigh
So with heads to the earth and bottoms to sky
Their only prayer, their hope, their thought
One over the top, one a little too short.
Onwards they fought, a little fewer each time
More soldiers killed, but it wasn’t a crime.
While so many died, deprived of their lives
Others thanked God for the right to survive.
And now many years since the end of the war,
The soldiers meet, as mates once more
And proudly they march, if you listen, you’ll hear
Silent footsteps of those, who may well be near.
Written in memory of my Pop, Sergeant Repton Tory Pepper (1922–2007) who served in the Australian Military Forces during the Second World War from the age of 18. He forged his father’s signature and put his age up to 20 – the necessary age of international service.
My family and I are endlessly grateful for his patriotism and service, and proud of the man he became, always loving and cheeky, in spite of enduring the unthinkable atrocities of war.
